Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) blasted Democrats for wasting time with theatrics and partisan games during a Ways and Means Committee hearing today. 

During the hearing, Democrats pushed a new entitlement program, while Rep. Hern argued against creating a new programs when there are currently 92 separate programs for low-income Americans, more than 30 of which are accessible and beneficial for women and mothers. 

Click here to watch Rep. Hern's full remarks.

Excerpts from Rep. Hern’s remarks: 

There are a lot of struggling people in America. As my colleague said a minute ago, we just have a difference in the delivery of how we get to where we're needing to go. We talk about giving subsidies on childcare, but what we saw when the childcare tax credit came out in 2017 is that the increase in childcare [costs] went up enormously because now a lot of [childcare service providers] knew they were guaranteed payments. It's much like forgiving student debt... There is no incentive to ever lower the cost again.

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There are ninety-two programs, federally-backed programs, that we fund every year with one-trillion dollars of taxpayer money. Now, you wouldn't believe that, I'm sure, I didn't believe that when I got here. Ninety-two. And we're wanting to add another one... I’m not hearing you all argue for a continuous hand out; you just need a hand up when times are bad… That’s what makes us great as America, that we can all get together, regardless of party, regardless of politics and theatrics and that we can help each other up. That’s what makes us special wouldn’t you agree? That’s what makes us special. But you don’t know about those [existing] programs because we don’t think that’s enough. One of the biggest battles we’ve fought in America today is who is going to be better for you: your community or the federal government here in Washington, DC...  Washington, DC, [became] so powerful that you had to come up here to ask us for help; that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. We should help you, and the best place to make that happen is in your communities. Your faith-based organizations, your businesses.

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The largest retailer in the United States told me this morning, that of the goods that we buy – energy, gasoline, food – our actual inflation for those making fifty thousand a year and less is fifteen to twenty one percent. That’s what you’re feeling. You have no money left over to do anything. You’re working extra jobs to pay for the inflation. It’s just a fact. It’s not political, it’s what it is. Now we can argue did it start just in February with the Ukrainian War or was it [before that] with bad policy? That’s another hearing.

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 One of the things that changed the direction in my life is… I learned how to get a drafting degree because I knew I had to be different from my family and get educated. I’m the only one of five kids that got a high school diploma and I went on to get an engineering degree and an MBA. But the point being is that I’m here to solve problems. I don’t have time for the politics… There are thirty programs in America today that would help you all, if we would just step back and work together to get those programs directed to you instead of trying to sit up here and fight on something the Democrats could pass on their own. They have a majority in the House of Representatives, they don’t need this Committee or us as Republicans. This is theatrics, we got to stop it.

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